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Monday, March 17, 2014

The girl who kissed Benedict Cumberbatch

INDEPENDENT
JULIA MOLONY – PUBLISHED 16 MARCH 2014 02:30 AM

YASMINE Akram's life has changed considerably since she snogged Benedict Cumberbatch on prime time telly. For one thing, she attracted the ire of the "Cumberbitches", the Sherlock actor's fanatical female admirers.

"I've had so many people threatening my life for kissing Benedict," Yasmine says, clearly disappointed that the attentions after her most high profile job to date haven't been more amorous. "That's all my love life has been – people having a go at me for kissing someone who was paid to kiss me."

It's funny what a guest slot on Sherlock can do. It's given Yasmine, previously best known for a small-ish one-woman play she wrote and starred in here in Ireland, a brush with international celebrity. But what it didn't deliver, unfortunately, was a boyfriend. "I remember saying to the girls when I was doing hair and make-up – this series is going to get me a boyfriend," she says.

But no. "I have never been so single," she faux-wails. It seems a ludicrous complaint, from one so gorgeous, but she is adamant. "I didn't even get a Valentine's card."